1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to surface deformation type wavefront phase modulators and how to enhance performance of surface deformation type wavefront phase modulators.
2. Prior Art Discussion
As identified in related application Ser. No. 08/370,021, titled "Enhanced Phase Modulator", filed Jan. 9, 1995, and application Ser. No. 08/180,029, filed Jan. 11, 1994, titled "Electronically Addressed Deformable Media Light Modulator" and application Ser. No. 08,020,692, filed Feb. 22, 1993 titled "Popper Valve Modulator" all admitted to Craig D. Engle, prior art surface deformation type phase modulators suffer from a variety of problems. As identified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,602 to Glenn, Nov. 7, 1989, surface deformation type phase modulators which utilize deformable reflectors affixed to deformable media suffer from several performance compromises. Performance compromises identified by Glenn include trade offs between reflector reflectance, reflector thickness, and deformation efficiency. In addition, using a first surface deformable reflector precludes a wavefront from traversing a transmissive deformable media. Precluding a wavefront from traversing a deformable media precludes the possibility of a wavefront from being reflected from within the deformable media. Such a configuration is therefore precluded from the benefits to be identified herein.
Additional examples of surface deformation type wavefront phase modulators include U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,084 to Whol, Dec. 7, 1971. U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,084 suffers from extgraneous components and/or gaps between a transmissive conductor rigidly affixed to a second substrate and the deformable media. As to be shown herein, elements of the prior art can be eliminated without loss of capability.